Confidential Resources for Returning Soldiers

Confidentiality has always been a big thing with me. It was drilled into my head during my education, my internships and throughout my career. Like truth and honesty, I believe that confidentiality belongs in the category of "absolute". To hear of any breech of confidentiality sends me on a rampage. The results of today's rampage led to a friend who is the wife of an active duty Soldier, and who has worked in Family Support for years. She provided two absolutely confidential resources for returning soldiers:

The Vet Center
http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/
1-800-905-4675 (Eastern) and 1-866-496-8838 (Pacific)

About the Vet Center, my friend writes, "The Vet Center (not VA) offers free counseling to soldiers coming back from overseas. The Vet Center works with readjustment issues and PTSD. This is their specialty. Nothing is recorded onto the soldier's record. If the building burns down all is lost. There is no way to track anything. That is how confidential this is." There is no cost for Soldiers and family members, and no record.

Military One Source
http://www.militaryonesource.com/skins/MOS/home.aspx
1-800-342-9647 available 24/7

A stand-alone agency that has become a mountainous resource of all things military can help in any situation a military member or their family can find themselves in. My friend writes, "MOS offers 6 free counseling sessions per issue for non emergency situations. (If for some reason the person needs an extension, then they will be able to continue counseling at no charge.) These are usually face to face and a counselor is located within 30 miles of the caller's home. Now, if for some reason the caller lives in a remote area or has some circumstance as to not being able to go to a counselor then telephone counseling is set up. In no way is anything documented or sent back to the soldier's record. Everything is confidential."

Pass this information on.

Thanks for reading.